Hold Your Own Euchre Tournament - 4

The Progressive format

" Progressive euchre tournament"

The Progressive format, aka The Round Robin format, is commonly used at fundraisers and social events. It is also seen in completive tournaments. It is popular because after every round partnerships will change. By alternating partners, this format provides an opportunity to make new friends or reunite with old pals. Teams play a total of 8 hands per round. Because of this the games in each round typically finish around the same time.

Here's what is needed to get started:

1) 1 Euchre card deck for each table. (A Pinochle Deck may be split to make 2 Euchre decks).

* Printing Directions *

Acrobat Reader is required to print these forms

It is convenient to have a sign-up table to greet players as they arrive. This is where a player's number and starting position will be assigned. The simplest way is to assign people numbers in the order that they arrive. Names may also be placed in a hat and drawn randomly. A very informal method would be to just have everyone sit down at a table of their choosing. When players sign up each of them is given a score sheet. All players are responsible for keeping their own score.

Once teams are seated, play begins. The first dealer is determined by dealing the cards one at a time and face up until someone receives a jack. That player is the dealer and starts the game. At the end of each hand, points are marked on the score sheet. Each block on the sheet needs to be filled in with 1, 2, 4, or X. * See score sheets below.

The deal is then passed to the person on the left. Each person deals twice for a total of 8 hands. In the case of a misdeal or if everyone passes after the 2nd round, then that same person would deal again.

The team that has the highest number of points at the end of eight hands will move up one table (for example from table 2 to table 3). The losing team stays at the same table, but one player will move over to the next seat. This may be left up to the players as to who moves or could be decided by drawing for high cards. This means the partners from one game will not be partners on the next one. The two winners that moved up from the last table will then sit down. If two players have played together in a prior round, they should not play together a second time.

Each player keeps his own score. At the end of the tournament, all scores are totaled up. The player with the most point wins. A way to make your tourney a more interesting event is charging a quarter for each euchre. The money goes into a pot. At the end, it is then given to the person with the most loners.

Here's what our viewers are saying

Because this is a team game but scored individually. When a player succeeds at an attempt for a lone hand 4 point score, do both teammates recieve 4 points?

Posted by Mike on Tuesday, 02.17.15 @ 13:16pm| #3368

Yes, both members of the current team get 4 points.

Posted by Dod on Tuesday, 02.17.15 @ 19:32pm| #3369

In the Progressive format can you play with 5 to 7 players and how would the seating chart look. I understand people would have to sit out games but that is time to eat and chat any help would be great .
Thanks

Some teams play together twice
Use the same basic idea for 6 0r 7 players

Posted by Don on Wednesday, 03.25.15 @ 14:08pm| #3397

How do you properly use the Progressive tournament score sheet?
What do all of the columns stand for?

Posted by Mark Smallwood on Friday, 11.27.15 @ 08:19am| #3501

I am hosting my first progressive euchre tourney this weekend. I anticipate having somewhere around 30 players, but you never know. Most of my friends have never played progressive euchre so it’s been hard to explain the process to them. Most of them say “just tell me where to sit”. There’s also the issue of what to do if you end up with a group that is not a multiple of 4. I wanted to share this plan with people that have played progressive euchre for critique.
First off, I plan on each player dealing twice each round. It will be stick the dealer. I’ll hand out score sheets for people to keep track of their score.
Second, before each round everyone draw cards for their seat number. That way people will know exactly where their seat is and won’t have to figure out on their own if they have to move to a different table or scoot over or whatever. Of course some people might end up playing with the same partner more than once, but is that really any big deal? The important thing is everyone playing the same number of rounds.
Second, in order for my plan to work, I need to play a number of rounds that is a multiple of 4. I think 8 will be about right.
Third, to account for all possible scenarios of player numbers I have made a cheat sheet showing each scenario. If I don’t end up with a multiple of four, I will have some players sit out one round as described below. Those players that sat out during one of the first eight rounds will play a 9th round by themselves so that all players end up with 8 scored rounds.
Forth, I will determine who sits out each round after registration is closed. I’ll work my way up from last player registered. For example, if 35 players show up, then the last three players registered will sit out the first round. The next three-to-the-last will sit out the second round and so on. After eight rounds, you will end up with 24 players that have sat out one round, which means you have a multiple of four and those 24 players play one more round, giving all 35 players eight scored rounds.
Here are the scenarios:
Multiples of 4 (perfect, nobody sits out and 8 rounds only) - 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40
Multiples of 2 – 2 too many people (two ppl will sit out each round, so over 8 rounds 16 people will sit out one round; those 16 will play the 9th round, giving each player 8 scored rounds) - 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38
Odd numbers – 1 too many (one person will sit each round, so over eight rounds 8 people will sit out one round; those 8 will play the 9th round, giving each player 8 scored rounds) - 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41
Odd numbers – 3 too many (three people will sit out each round, so over 8 rounds 24 ppl will sit out one round; those 24 will play a 9th round, giving each player 8 scored rounds) - 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39, 43
I know if I end up with 19 or 23 players, I’ll have to think of something else because there won’t be enough players to sit out one round each over 8 rounds. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Posted by Sam on Tuesday, 12.1.15 @ 11:12am| #3507

Sam,
It looks like you have a well thought out plan. I think you would need a printout of who sits out each round and then closely monitor to see that it is followed.

Good luck with your tourney. Hopefully it will be successful and you will hold more in the future.

Posted by Don on Sunday, 12.6.15 @ 09:16am| #3516

Thanks for the info hope our euchre party turns out good

Posted by Vince Maisano on Tuesday, 12.8.15 @ 13:21pm| #3528

In scoring does the loosing hand get their point as well? Example. 3 tricks to 2 tricks. Winners write 3 and losers write down 2 on the score card. Or do the winners get 3 and losers get a 0 for that hand.

Posted by Sheri on Tuesday, 02.9.16 @ 21:14pm| #3572

If the team takes 3 tricks they get 1 point. The other team get 0. Games are normally played to 10 points.

Posted by Don on Wednesday, 02.10.16 @ 10:12am| #3573

Nice site, will use the info for my tournaments

Posted by Tim Verdries on Saturday, 10.22.16 @ 11:39am| #3695

Love playing

Posted by Rosemary on Tuesday, 11.15.16 @ 07:30am| #3710

So when the first team gets to 10 they write that down as there points earned and the losing team writes down their score correct? So if my team got to 10 and the other team got 6, we write down 10 and they write down 6. Then the winners move on and the losers stay. Can each winner go to a separate table or do the stay together? This is my 1st time setting up a tournament so need it kinda spelled out to me.
Thanks

Posted by Jessica on Wednesday, 12.21.16 @ 18:37pm| #3725

If the score gets to 10 in 3 hands that would be the end of the game or do you play 8 hands no matter what?

Posted by Ken on Friday, 03.10.17 @ 16:29pm| #3787

Yes, 8 hands are always played no matter what the score

Posted by Don on Saturday, 03.18.17 @ 14:10pm| #3791

Are there any pre-structured rotation sheets available for 32-36 players and 8-10 hands

Posted by Dave Foltz on Friday, 05.5.17 @ 10:02am| #3821

I'm holding a cornhole party, but want to use the progressive euchre type rotation cards, (it's still a game w/4 players). Do you have rotation cards for 28 & 32 players??

Don Bunnis the creator of
OhioEuchre.Com.
As a self-proclaimed Euchre authority, Don is involved in teaching Euchre along with the promotion and operation of Euchre tournaments.He can be reached at info@OhioEuchre.Com